Freedom
by Crimson Kaleidoscopes
Summary: AU. One Shot. Naruto knew that the only freedom he could ever achieve is death.


Freedom

By Crimson Kaleidoscopes (Collections)

Collection's notes: I may or may not write the next one. I'm planning 5/6 one shots in this series but I may not write them all.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Summary: He knew that the only freedom he could ever achieve is death. One Shot

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Freedom. Ever since Naruto had come across the word in a book, he had always pondered over the meaning of the word. He checked the dictionary; they said that freedom meant the power to determine action without restraint. The dictionary also stated that freedom also meant exemption from the presence of anything specified. He wonders which of the meanings is correct. Probably both. After all, a dictionary could not be wrong. The publisher would get himself into hot soup for his mistake.

Freedom. He wonders over the meaning of the word. He had once asked the shy blue haired girl named Hinata the meaning of the word. She had pondered over his question for sometime before answering him. To her, freedom is like a bird outside a cage that is able to spread its wings and cut through the air aimlessly, with a speed that it is not even capable of. To her, freedom is something that does not have an aim.

Freedom. He had asked Sakura the meaning of the word. She looked at him strangely, probably wondering why he was asking such a question, before she answered the question. Freedom, to her, meant that she would have a choice of what she wants to do without anyone stopping her.

Freedom. He asked Neji what was the word freedom to him. Neji's pale lavender pupiless eyes briefly held a glazed look before he regained his composure and answered the question. Neji had said that to him, freedom is the breaking of the binds that oppress something. It was known that Neji's dream was to break away from the path fate had set for him; it was his dream to carve out his own destiny, and not follow the predestinated one.

Freedom. He found Shikamaru looking at the clouds and had asked what the word freedom meant to him. Shikamaru, being the lazy genius he is just gave his trademark sigh before answering. At first, he replied that to him, freedom is not troublesome. After seeing the death glare that Naruto shot him, he then complied with his request and answered the question. Freedom, to him is to be unburdened, not be chained down, to live life the way he wants it to be as long as it is within reasonability.

Freedom. He had asked the platinum blond haired, blue eyed girl named Ino who was also a rival of Sakura what is meaning the word freedom to her. Ino held him in her gaze, probably wondering if this was the same happy-go-lucky Naruto that she knew. Or perhaps she was wondering why on earth was he asking her such a question. Regardless, she had decided to humor him and answered the question he posted to her. To Ino, freedom is like, standing in the middle of a forest and taking in the whiffs of fresh air. To her, freedom is like defying gravity.

With five different meanings in mind, Naruto set out on his quest to find the true meaning of the word freedom.

The dictionary had stated that the word freedom meant exemption from the presence of anything specified. Naruto reflected over the words. He sat on his bed thinking for a very long time, before coming to the conclusion that he could never achieve this freedom. Naruto knew that the Kyuubi was sealed within him, there was no way he could ever release it. He knew how the seal worked; he knew that if he released the Kyuubi, he would die along with it. Naruto knew, he knew the bitter truth so well; he knew could never ever in his whole life achieve this freedom.

He recalled the dictionary's first meaning of freedom, Sakura and Shikamaru's words. To them, freedom was the ability to move about as they please, to do what they wished, to be able to live their lives the way they want. However, Naruto does not consider that as freedom. He does not consider the ability to move about freely, to do the things they wished as freedom. People often forget that Naruto is an orphan; they often forget that Naruto never had any parents to care for him. Hence, to many others, it would seem that Naruto had freedom. After all, he had no parents; there was no one to tell him that he could not do this, that he could not do that. There was no curfew for him to follow, no orders that he had to obey. Naruto could live his life the way he liked; there would be no interference from anyone.

Finding that the dictionary, Sakura and Shikamaru's words do not fit his meaning of freedom, Naruto proceeded to the next meaning that came into his mind. Hinata's definition of the word. Hinata mentioned that to her, freedom was something without an aim. Naruto contemplated on her words before disagreeing. Naruto believes that in life, one must have an aim. Without an aim, what would one become? A mindless creature? Something that follows the orders of another all the time? To exist only because your parent brought you into the world? No, to Naruto, freedom is not something without an aim. Life without an aim is not freedom, life without an aim is as good as being a living dead. Thus, Hinata's definition of the word was tossed out of the window.

Freedom. Ino had told him that freedom, to her, freedom was like standing in the middle of a forest and taking in the whiffs of fresh air. Freedom, to her, is like defying gravity. Naruto contemplated on her words long and hard. He knew that Ino's definition of the word was probably the closest meaning of freedom to him. Still, it made no sense to him. Naruto knew the feeling of taking in whiffs of fresh air in the middle of the forest, he knew the feeling very well. After all, when he was younger, he always headed to the forest to escape from all the villagers, from all the hate, from all the anger, from all the beatings. Naruto may not know the feeling of defying gravity, but there was one thing he knew for sure. Defying gravity, that was not freedom. That was definitely not freedom. After all, what is the use of defying gravity when reality was against you? What is the use of taking whiffs of fresh air in the forest when that is all you could do to escape the hate, the anger for only just a while? Was not freedom supposed to be something that you might let your guard down for a while? So what is the use of taking whiffs of fresh air in the forest when you are always on the lookout of assassins after your blood? What is the use of defying gravity when you have to worry about falling down? No, Ino's meaning of freedom did not suit him. It made no sense to him at all.

Freedom. None of the given meaning had suited him and Naruto had come to the conclusion that he would never have this thing called freedom while he was alive. It may have been due to the Kyuubi that is sealed within him, or perhaps the people after his blood all the time or maybe it was just plain because he was an orphan, that his lifestyle was what most people would consider as freedom.

Naruto knew the truth and he considered what most people would never consider as freedom. Death. He considered death as freedom.

Death, to Naruto, that was the only way he could ever achieve freedom. In death, he would no longer have to face all the glares, all the anger, all the hate from the village. He would no longer have to put up with the cold, harsh bite of reality, where his dreams would not come through. Only in death, would he find his sanctuary, a place where he could sleep without the fear of assassins after his blood, a place where he do not have to worry about if he would go hungry the next day, a place where he could finally let his guard down, a place where he could finally retire from a constant battle with the people who wished him dead.

Naruto knew without a doubt that death was the only freedom he could ever achieve.

To Naruto, death was freedom.

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_How was it?_


End file.
